Count me as a fan of the idea behind these Blackest Night spinoffs that - for a single issue - pick up where several canceled series left off.I was glad to see The Phantom Stranger included on that list, since I was a big fan of the Len Wein-written and Jim Aparo-drawn version of that character.
Of course, the problem is, there are really two Phantom Strangers wandering in the DC Universe.
There's the mysterious figure who works in shadow and mystery, appearing suddenly to oppose evil and disappearing just as quickly. Those are the stories I remember fondly.
Then there's the superhero Phantom Stranger, who flies, fires mystic bolts from his hands and takes a more active role in events. I'm not so crazy about that one.
Unfortunately, for this issue, we get version #2. The story picks up from the scene in Blackest Night (or was it Green Lantern?) where the Spectre becomes a Black Lantern and vows to track down Hal Jordan.
What follows is a brutal fight between the Stranger, the Blue Devil and the possessed Spectre. About halfway through, the story takes a sudden turn and the two heroes tackle a different mission involving yet another supernatural figure.
The art by Adrian Syaf (penciller) and Vincente Cifuentes (inker) is very good, with some strong layouts and powerful sequences, but the story by Peter Tomasi just doesn't hold together, and it doesn't present that title character as anything more than just another superhero.
Still, even in an average comic, it's great to see an old favorite again. Hopefully we'll see more of the old boy in the future.
Grade: C+
1 comment:
Agreeing with you wholeheartedly on this one. I remember PS from the Aparo days as the mysterious figure appearing from the shadows, his supernatural abilities implied more than expressed. When did he get all super-powered?
Since PS was a childhood favorite, I was probably more disappointed in this comic than any other in a long while.
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